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Kathryn Bigelow’s ‘A House of Dynamite’ Debuts on Netflix to Strong Reviews and Scrutiny of Missile Defense

The Netflix release foregrounds tense procedural realism built on interviews with national security insiders.

Overview

  • The film began streaming worldwide on Oct. 24 following a brief theatrical run after festival premieres in Venice and New York.
  • Critics largely praise its nerve-racking realism and ensemble performances, with recurring notes that the multi-perspective replay structure can dilute momentum.
  • Set over roughly 18–19 minutes, the story tracks the U.S. government’s real-time response to a single missile threat through successive viewpoints inside the national-security apparatus.
  • Coverage highlights extensive research by writer Noah Oppenheim and Kathryn Bigelow, including interviews with former Pentagon, CIA and White House officials to recreate protocols and terminology.
  • Fact-focused reporting accompanying the release emphasizes real-world limits of U.S. missile defenses, citing a small interceptor inventory and modest test success rates that leave outcomes uncertain.